The present invention relates generally to a biocompatible, implantable intervertebral device for spinal surgery, with a tough inner part for force distribution and medullary canal protection within a flexible elastomer block, reinforced at the upper and lower ends thereof by a yoke coated with a bone osteoconductive material and provided with an attachment member.
This spinal surgery, and more specifically in the cervical condition in question, is subject to degenerative or accidental phenomena affecting the osteodiscal junctions of the cervical column. Prior procedures made use of total intervertebral disk excision with or without replacement of said disk by a bone graft or substitutes such as coral or cervical cages. These various techniques resulted in definitive stiffening of the two adjacent vertebral segments. This gave rise to the idea of implanting a prosthesis made of biocompatible materials in order to prevent cervical stiffening resulting in long-term over- or underlying disk damage and provide the cervical column with the all the movements permitted. A number of parts intended to be implanted between two vertebrae to remedy intervertebral constituent tissue degeneration or wear are known. All these parts have the common feature of needing to retain spacing between two vertebrae. Such parts are hereinafter referred to as “implantable parts”.
More specifically, forming a type of elastic polymer intercalation pad completely covered with a tissue is known (U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,728).
Moreover, a further model (WO9900074) using an elastic polymer also relates to complete covering with a tissue, with extensions used for attaching the implant.